Collaboration of Spring IC

Moves the needle with a force of spring to get coming loose, 

while controlling the accuracy by IC and crystal oscillator, 

that is a mechanism of originality unparalleled in the world, 

so called Spring Drive.

It is an innovative mechanism of Seiko original 

that combines both the taste of mechanical watch 

and the technology of microelectronics. 

Spring Drive to assume the natural movement 

of people to use as a power source is the watch which connected 

with the person to use and the most advanced technology closely related each other.

Machine and Human collaboration

While it may be said it cannot be made by machine, 

a machine may be necessary eventually. 

For example, gear. 

In order to make a high-accurate mechanical movement, 

you need to refine the gear to polish thoroughly. 

To increase the processing accuracy thoroughly 

by mechanical engineering evolved in the modern part, 

it is polished carefully one by one by the hand of craftsman. 

An advanced technology and a traditional craftsmanship. 

Unless the both get together, 9S mechanical movement can not be made.

There is a thing that cannot be made by machine.

Hairspring attached to the balance 

which controls the accuracy of mechanical movement 

can be adjusted carefully at the micro level. 

Because the power adjustment is too delicate, 

a machine cannot do it. 

A craftsman adjusts it using handmade tweezers

Fine-tuning of accuracy

Mechanical watch has a mechanism to fine-tune accuracy,

but quartz watch can not generally fine-tune accuracy. 

However, 9F quartz of Grand Seiko can fine-tune accuracy by the switch.

Some years later after applying,

when it became clear in tendency whether it is likely to be fast or late, 

the accuracy can be compensated by the switch. 

When you use it regularly for a long period, 

you understand the "peculiarity" of the watch  

and can make adjustment to fit the "peculiarity.".

Aging for 3 months.

Quartz crystal used in quartz watches vibrates 32,768 times per second 

and the accuracy of quartz watches is determined depending 

on whether can keep this frequency. However,

there are individual differences in crystal oscillator, 

and some might not keep the frequency stable due to changes 

in the environment. With the quartz watch of Grand Seiko, 

are adopted only ones which cleared eventually 

the standard  after a three month long aging process.

“Accurate” Watch

Not to mention such excellent specification 

as less than 10 seconds of yearly deviation, 

but it can not express Grand Seiko just with mere specification.

Even movement with a high degree of accuracy, 

it can not read the exact time by a short hand. 

In quartz watch, a second hand moving 

only one scale per second does not point exactly to the scale, 

it would not be called "accurate watch" Long thick hand. 

Second hand of 9F quartz, moves accurately without trembling.

Index that has been polished. 

Not be expressed only by a number of specification, 

that is also represented by the discovery in Grand Seiko 

which can be realized only after using.

Beautifully shining watch

In the late 1960s, Grand Seiko established “Seiko style" 

in a molding that maximizes the beauty of Zaratsu polishing 

to finish like a mirror polished surface mainly of plane. 

With the design of Grand Seiko it realized "Seiko Style", 

by performing more than 50 of polishing to pull beautifully shining suitable 

for Grand Seiko out of the metal.

Looks like a common watch at a glance

Grand Seiko aims at Accuracy Visibility.

Emotional attachment for a long time.

It pursues a matter of course as a watch without compromise. 

Looks like a common watch at a glance, but Grand Seiko aims to " the best ordinary”

Challenge of Grand Seiko

The Grand Seiko equipped with Seiko original new mechanism

"self-winding Caliber Spring Drive 9R" that the crystal oscillator controls precision 

while applying the power source to unravel  spring, 

which needed the time of 27 years for the development, came into existence in 2004. 

And equipped with "Chronograph of spring drive, 

the most accurate and reliable in the world, 

Caliber 9R86" with a power transmission mechanism

of vertical clutch that allows for more accurate measurement,

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph appeared in 2007.

Further, in the mechanical model, "Mechanical self-winding 3DAYS"

that maintains for about 72 hours (about 3 days) at maximum winding-up 

was developed in 2006, and "Mechanical High Beat 36000" 

was born in 2009 that equipped with a 10 vibration movement Caliber 9S85 self-winding, 

which was newly developed for the first time in 41 years for Grand Seiko.

A challenge of Grand SEIKO is continuously evolving endlessly aiming 

at the highest peak of a practical use watch..

Revival of Grand Seiko

Carrying many expectations, 

Grand Seiko attained revival in 1988 due to mounting 

a high-accuracy quartz movement less than10 seconds of “yearly deviation”.

In 1993, Grand Seiko equipped with "quartz, 

Caliber 9F beyond the common sense of the quartz" appeared. 

It has a torque while being quartz watch, 

to turn the long, thick needle such as a mechanical watch equipped 

with a mechanism that has a calendar that switches instantly to just after midnight,

to achieve a precise movement of the second hand eliminating the trembling of second hand.

It was a quartz watch which realized the impossible 

with conventional quartz watch.

And in 1998, appeared mechanical Grand Seiko long-awaited equipped 

with a fully new design "Caliber 9S"  after a blank period of over 20 years.

Pursuing the accuracy as mechanical watch to the limit

"V.F.A."　stands for Very Fine Adjusted Grand Seiko V.F.A. appeared in 1969.

It is a super high precision mechanical watch 

that pursued to the limit accuracy of a mechanical watch. 

The accuracy is less than a minute of　“monthly deviation”.

It was an epoch mechanical wrist watch that expressed 
"monthly deviation" in accuracy, 
at the time, when "daily deviation" was applied  in common sense. 

Grand SEIKO V.F.A. just realized ultimate high accuracy.

In 1970s, however, mechanical Grand Seiko disappeared

from the market once due to the rapid spread of quartz watches 

that Seiko released for the first time in the world.

Birth of Grand Seiko

Grand Seiko started the release in 1960.

It was generally recognized as a luxury watch
to be equal to Swiss make ​​at that time. 

Grand Seiko was born as domestic finest watch to challenge

the luxury Swiss watches in such period.

When the primary Grand Seiko was born, 

the accuracy was very high accuracy 

equivalent to the excellent standard  of chronometer of Switzerland at the time. 

Domestic finest watches made ​​taking advantage of high technology 

and enough rich experience of Seiko. 

That's was the primary Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko has continued to aim as well as high accuracy, 

ease of reading of the time, 

the highest peak of practical watch 
that combines comfortable fit when worn on the wrist, 
and durability available to use habitually for a long time. 

Even now that when more than 40 years 

has  passed since birth of the primary Grand Seiko, 

the spirit of the Grand Seiko has been still inherited without change.